Pontefract Cruise Ship Worker Abused Children

20 April 2012, 15:11 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A former Cunard cruise ship worker from West Yorkshire admits carrying out sex attacks on 13 boys while working as a supervisor in the kids activity area.

34 year old Paul Trotter pleaded guilty to a string of sexual assaults and taking, making and possessing indecent images of children, most of them were under 13 at the time.

The supervisor made films of himself abusing the children in his care on board three cruise ships, operated by Cunard. He also had other indecent images of children he found online.

Cunard, who are part of the Carnival Corporation group, who own the Costa Concordia which ran aground earlier this year, said it was “deeply shocked” by Trotter's “appalling crimes”.

They also say he avoided being caught despite a number of safeguards, including a criminal record checked.

Trotter, from Ponterfract in West Yorkshire , appeared at Swindon Crown Court.

He admitted 12 counts of sexual assault against a child under the age of 13, one count of sexual activity with a child under the age of 13, five counts of taking indecent images of a child, five of making indecent images of a child and one of possessing indecent images of a child.

It happened between November 2007 to August 2011 when he was arrested by Wiltshire Police.

Judge Douglas Field told Trotter he would remain in police custody until his sentencing in May.

Trotter has also been put on the sex offences register.

 Detective Inspector Nicki Davey, who led the investigation, said: “The contents of his computer were examined and revealed that he had filmed himself abusing children in his care.

“Paul Trotter worked in a position of trust with children. He has abused the trust placed in him by the children and their parents.

“His admission of the charges will mean that the families do not have to experience the distress of a trial".

John Grounds, director of the NSPCC's child protection consultancy, said: “The NSPCC is working closely with Cunard to help improve its child protection policies and procedures and will be presenting its recommendations very shortly.